Sold as Buffy's darker side, this spin-off took brooding vampire Angel to the mean streets of LA for some rather more metropolitan demon-slaying shenanigans. Darker it was, at least for the first few episodes, but Angel soon found a quirky sense of humour that made the entire affair far more enjoyable. The supporting cast (made largely out of Buffy cast-offs) were never as appealing as their Scooby gang counterparts but the show was a worthy addition to the Buffyverse nonetheless and had only just reached its stride when the cancellation stake put Angel down for good.

Smile Time (Season 5, episode 14) in which Angel is turned into a puppet. Utter, utter genius.

Joss Whedon himself appears in season two episode Through The Looking Glass, cameoing as the Pylean demon Numfar and performing the Dance Of Joy.